“This exhibition is the culmination of Performa’s 2015 mail art re-activation project celebrating the work of artist Ray Johnson, “one of the most revered underground artists of the last half of the 20th century.”

As an homage to Johnson, the father of mail art, on the 20th anniversary of his death, Performa (in collaboration with the Ray Johnson Estate) placed a number of the artist’s “templates” back into circulation inviting participants to draw, collage or otherwise “add to” them and then “return” them to Johnson c/o Performa via USPS, the internet or through social media using the hashtag #PleaseAddTo.”

It was left on 11/22/15, on the outside of a purple magazine distribution box for Key West Maps & Coupons, just beside the famous Schooner Western Union, in the Key West Bight Marina at the end of William Street.

The first in series of ten altered book pages, each similar yet different.

For the commemoration of my 100th “Relationship” collage, I made a series of 10 (+1 artist’s proof). These were completed in October 2015 using trash, found items, ink, and stenciled spray paint, all on pages from the book “Time to Kill”, a 1953 Popular Library paperback book by Terry Spain. All are mounted on USPS Priority recycled cardboard.

Each example has a different title beginning with “Time to kill…” and then paired with a clipped word or phrase.

Additionally, one phrase is highlighted in pink on each page, and paired with a clipping phrase. There is a horizontal rectangle in the lower half of each page which is a combination of found losing lottery tickets, and pages from a pocket Bible with the word of God printed in red. Each page also has a “spirograph” drawing in two colors, a small piece from paper money of Guyana, a vertical stripe clipping of a sexy man from a magazine, and a torn box flap showing the printer’s color process control patches.

RJFC Relationships 100-109

This piece (Relationship C) was left on 11/22/15 in Key West, Florida. I stuck it on a Key West Citizen Newspaper box beside the (closed) Backspace Bar & Kitchen at the intersection of James St. and Grinnell St.

Like this:

<b>Ray Johnson Fan Club Relationship XCIX ~ “Things go your way WHEN YOU have THE POWER TO CLOUD MEN’S MINDS”</b> was completed 10/2015 using only trash from the streets, on the 45 record cover “Knock on Wood / When you are beautiful” by Amii Stewart.

It was left 10/9/15 on the door of a vacant building at the intersection of N. Jefferson Street and E. Plymouth Street in Tampa, Florida. (below)

Ray Johnson Fan Club Relationship XCVIII ~ Doesn’t your baby deserve NEW SLAPS” was completed 9/2015 using trash from the streets, on an old, used DVD. It was made while sitting at a Starbucks in Clearwater.